Process of treating potassium containing silicates and phosphate-rock and the product of such process.



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COMPANY, OF BALTIIHEOEE.

PROCESS OF TREATING PGI'ASSIUIEI CONTAINING ormon 6 THE SPAR CHEMICAL A.COBY'ORATION OF MARYLAND.

srmoa rss Ann PHOSPHATE-noon AND THE PRODUCT OF SUCH PROCESS.

llo Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

citizen of the l'nited t residing at atonsville, in the county of "mmState of Iila'ryland, hare inren ed c am new and useful lmproyements inProcess of Treating Potassium Containing and Phosphate-Rock and thel'roducts of Such Processes, of which the following is a specification.v

This invention relates to the treatment of insoluble potassiumcontaining material, notably naturally occurring silicates such asf-eldspathic rock, green sand marl, and the like, to produce watersoluble potassium salts therefrom, and has particular reference to acombined process of rendering normally insoluble potassium compoundssoluble in water and rendering phosphate rock available for use as afertilizer. I

I have discovered that if phosphate rock is decomposed by the additionof a mineral acid adapted to decompose phosphate rock and particularlyav dilute mineral acid adapted to decompose phosphate rock, such forexample, as sulfuric acid, whereby the phosphoric acid componentavailable for plant assimilation, an nsoluble naturally occurringpotassium containing silicates heated to a relatively low reactingtBlllPGl'fitU Q 35 hereinafter set forth. with the. decompositionproducts of the phosphate rock and acid in the presence of a reducingagent, the potassium salts in such silicates will water. While I preferto employ carbon or a material consisting largely of carbon as myreducing agent, I may employ any reducing agent adapted to decomposeoxygen containing acids. .l have also found in practice, that somemeasure of success may be obtained by substituting a substantially equalamount by weight of sulfur or a correspondingly greater quantity of asulfur compound readily decomposable by heat such as iron pyrites, forthe carbon in the reaction.

In the practice of my process, the insoluand the phosphate rock arepreferably first brought to a degree of neness such that they will passthrough a forty or sixty mesh sieve. mixture of the silicate, phosphaterock, and a, dilute mineral acid, to which may be added a small amountSpecification of Letters Patent.

Silicates I of the rocl: is made,

be rendered soluble in leach such product with water,

Patented Feb. 27, 1917..

Application filed. July 15, 1915. Serial No. 40,030.

of the reducing agent, such as heated to a reactingtemperature,preferably to from 900 to 1000 F. The heating operation may beadvantageously conducted in a rotary tube furnace, and I have found thatthe most satisfactory results are obtained by continuing the heatingoperation for from minutes to 1 hour. it is to be understood oftheingredientswill depend in a measure upon the potassium content of theinsoluble potassium containing materials under treatment. sand marl orfeldspar containing seven per cent. of potash figured as K 0, 1preferably mix the materials in the following proport ons by weight:

Potassium containing silicate 10 parts.

Phosphate rock 1 1202 parts Sulfuric acic 6 to 8 parts. lVaten 6 t0 8parts. Carbon .5 part.

From my experiments, it appears thatthe The product of the reaction maybe advantageously employed Without further treatment, as a fertlhzer.

separate the carbon,

In the treatment of green I may however,

soluble salts therefrom and subject the 'residue to a washing orseparate the iron oxid and calcium sulfate from the undesired productspresent. The iron oxid and calcium sulfate, in the c011- dition in whichthey exist in the product of the reaction a re relatively light ascompare( with the undesired products with which they are associated andmay be readily separated therefrom by. a washing or floatingoperfloatmg, operation to ation. The separated iron 'oxid and calciumsulfate when dry, pigment (Venetian red).

. In the practice of my process a sulfuric acid salt of iron is producedand this at a temperature of 900 F. or above is decomposed producingiron oxid, sulfur dioxid and sulfur trioxid. The iron oxid by itscatalytic are suitable for use as a I transforms she Qiiiiiir dioxidiinin "id and 'n'ic 'tnoxnl 15-? ab- :1 *1 il I [17.19 8171M, 111 v icacid 7.: 21 rengeni; in process is rese in the pmcesr.

1 mined in d itzzii 23110 A :1

1 of my process inciudirig ants, pi-opnrioz'ls {if inls: of procedure,it is to 16, proportioi'is of in- V procedure may be i varied tknownchainin equivalents of the i-(engmits may in. empiey :1. 15 Withoutiifepzu'ting f2. the spirit my i minim: mi'he scope oi the snbjoinm'lchin in .iikn'ing thus described my inveniion,

ihv herein described process of obi 'n- 121M; putussium suits whichCOHSibLb in my; 211: i alhbic 1mm ium (:anfiaiining i do and phosphateme}: to 2:. 1* Zing; "mnpemt rie in the presence of mmerai acid adaptedto decmnpvse phnspimi e r-shiz: 25 and a rmiucing agent.

2. The herein described process of 0biaini1 solubie pemssium salts,which (:01 in snbjacting a mixture co nrising insoluble potassimncontaining siiJace, phosphate Kiosk, Water, and sulfuric acid. 2:0 theacf ion

